Meet our New Trainers: Dillon and Melissa
Dillon Altonen
Personal Trainer
How did you first become involved in fitness? The first time I became involved in fitness was during high school. I was a long-time basketball player and was always very tall and lean. Being tall was a plus, but I did not have the muscle to be physical while on the floor. This drove me to start a weightlifting class offered at my school to help gain the edge I needed to become better as a player. From then on, I became very interested in weightlifting at the local YMCA with friends. This continued into college, where I received a bachelor's degree in Nutrition and Sports Medicine at St. John's University.What are your strengths as a personal trainer? My strengths as a personal trainer are my knowledge of nutrition and overall strength training background. Having a bachelor's degree in Nutrition enables me to help my clients reach their goals -- not just in the gym, but outside the gym as well -- by providing them with simple steps for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Also, with a strength training background, I can help my clients progress in their training by incorporating several different types of exercise such as plyometrics, intervals, circuits and power lifting.What do you think is the biggest mistake most people make when setting up a workout routine? Do you feel certain aspects of living a healthy life are understated? Or overrated? I think the biggest mistake people make when setting up a routine is maintaining a good variety of exercises. I see members doing a similar routine every day, and the lack of this variety in their routine will not provide the type of results that they're expecting. Honestly, I feel that diet is the one thing that most people don't pay attention to as much as they should. The assumption that if you exercise enough you will reach your goals is not going to cut it!What are some tips you have for people looking to get into shape? What do you say to people who say they are too tired or have no time to work out? I am a strong believer in diet being the key to successful weight loss or muscle gain. What you put in your body is going to dictate the type of results you're going to have. Beyond just making healthy choices, we have to be careful about our portion sizes of our meals and how often we eat throughout the day. When people say they don't have enough time to fit a workout into their schedule, I say, "There is always time for a workout. You just haven't thought of using it that way yet!" Making time for a workout instead of watching TV, or waking up a little earlier in the morning to get it in, is the type of dedication you need to make it happen!What are some fitness activities you enjoy? What kind of music do you listen to when you work out? I love to play basketball, tennis, golf, Frisbee golf and volleyball. When it comes to music, I am not dedicated to one genre, but I tend to listen to more hardcore music. I guess I just need something to help get the blood pumping!
Melissa St. Aubin
Personal Trainer
How did you first become involved in fitness? I first became involved in fitness while attending physical therapy for car accident I was in. I was amazed at how the body could heal and thrive when challenged physically. I lost around 30 pounds during that time and was hooked on fitness and eating healthy.What are your strengths as a personal trainer? My strengths are my listening skills, my ability to motivate and inspire, and helping my clients set short- and long-term goals.What do you think is the biggest mistake most people make when setting up a workout routine? Doing too much too soon, both with diet and with exercise. It's best to approach a healthy lifestyle change slowly and with realistic goals.Do you feel certain aspects of living a healthy life are understated? Or overrated? I think detoxes are overrated. I recommend spending the extra cash on high-quality organic whole foods rather than shakes and powders that are filled with sugars and other processed chemicals.What are some tips you have for people looking to get into shape? My number-one tip is to find an exercise plan you enjoy. If you enjoy biking, bike. If you love running, run. Find ways to be fit and healthy with activities that make you smile. Identifying what you enjoy will help you stick with it long term.What do you say to people who say they are too tired or have no time to work out? If it is important to you, you will find a way. If not, you'll find an excuse. It's as simple as that. If you want it bad enough, nothing will stop you.What are some fitness activities you enjoy? What kind of music do you listen to when you work out? I enjoy being in nature so I go for trail runs down by the river and I love high intensity workouts at the gym and creating new and fresh moves that are unique and different. I enjoy listening to upbeat techno and hip hop for workouts.